Because the reactions to today’s tour were very different,
there will be two stories of what it was like.
Diva was spooked from the start. The optional ride on the
horse and cart turned out to be a pretty well compulsory integral part of the
tour. This was not an elegant carriage. Think shabby and grubby with an
enormous stride to get into it. Not good for short legs. And the guide warned
about the horses, which have been known to kick and bite. And the road was
bumpy and the springs non-existent. ‘Why am I paying to use a primitive form of
transport that anyone would give up as soon as they could?’
Next, Diva missed the first pagoda because it involved
cramming everybody into a small lift. Although in retrospect it didn’t go that
high and she could have walked up. The local market, though interesting, was
crowded, hot and noisy. Western retail would kill for footfall like that.
And then the boat to the island pagoda. Basic. And impossible
for a short person to get in or out of without a great deal of help. At one
point, Diva thought she might have to stay on that boat for ever.
In spite of all this, Diva decided she would do the final
village tour. And in the first few minutes, there was the sound of a c*t. Hasty retreat to the bus.
Worst excursion since Sardinia.
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